Protein kinase C (PKC) consists of a family of closely related enzymes that function as serine/threonine kinases. Protein kinase C plays an important role in cell--cell signaling, gene expression, and in the control of cell differentiation and growth. At present, there are currently at least ten known isozymes of PKC that differ in their tissue distribution, enzymatic specificity, and regulation. Nishizuka Y. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 58: 31-44 (1989); Nishizuka Y. Science 258: 607-614 (1992).
Protein kinase C isozymes are single polypeptide chains ranging from 592 to 737 amino acids in length. The isozymes contain a regulatory domain and a catalytic domain connected by a linker peptide. The regulatory and catalytic domains can be further subdivided into constant and variable regions. The catalytic domain of protein kinase C is very similar to that seen in other protein kinases while the regulatory domain is unique to the PKC isozymes. The PKC isozymes demonstrate between 40-80% homology at the amino acid level among the group. However, the homology of a single isozyme between different species is generally greater than 97%.
Protein kinase C is a membrane-associated enzyme that is allosterically regulated by a number of factors, including membrane phospholipids, calcium, and certain membrane lipids such as diacylglycerols that are liberated in response to the activities of phospholipases. Bell, R. M. and Burns, D. J., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 4661-4664 (1991); Nishizuka, Y. Science 258: 607-614 (1992). The protein kinase C isozymes, alpha, beta-1, beta-2 and gamma, require membrane phospholipid, calcium and diacylglycerol/phorbol esters for full activation. The delta, epsilon, eta, and theta forms of PKC are calcium-independent in their mode of activation. The zeta and lambda forms of PKC are independent of both calcium and diacylglycerol and are believed to require only membrane phospholipid for their activation.
Only one or two of the protein kinase C isozymes may be involved in a given disease state. For example, the elevated blood glucose levels found in diabetes lead to an isozyme-specific elevation of the beta-2 isozyme in vascular tissues. Inoguchi et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 11059-11065 (1992). A diabetes-linked elevation of the beta isozyme in human platelets has been correlated with their altered response to agonists. Bastyr III, E. J. and Lu, J. Diabetes 42: (Suppl. 1) 97A (1993). The human vitamin D receptor has been shown to be selectively phosphorylated by protein kinase C beta. This phosphorylation has been linked to alterations in the functioning of the receptor. Hsieh et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88: 9315-9319 (1991); Hsieh et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268: 15118-15126 (1993). In addition, recent work has shown that the beta-2 isozyme is responsible for erythroleukemia cell proliferation while the alpha isozyme is involved in megakaryocyte differentiation in these same cells. Murray et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268: 15847-15853 (1993).
The ubiquitous nature of the protein kinase C isozymes and their important roles in physiology provide incentives to produce highly selective PKC inhibitors. Given the evidence demonstrating linkage of certain isozymes to disease states, it is reasonable to assume that inhibitory compounds that are selective to one or two protein kinase C isozymes relative to the other PKC isozymes and other protein kinases are superior therapeutic agents. Such compounds should demonstrate greater efficacy and lower toxicity by virtue of their specificity.
The microbial indolocarbazole, staurosporine, is a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C that interacts with the catalytic domain of the enzyme. Tamaoki et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 135: 397-402 (1986); Gross et al., Biochem. Pharmacol. 40: 343-350 (1990). However, the therapeutic usefulness of this molecule and closely related compounds is limited by the lack of specificity for protein kinase C over other protein kinases. Ruegg, U. T. and Burgess, G. M., Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 10: 218-220 (1989). This lack of selectivity results in unacceptable toxicity in this class of molecules.
An additional class of compounds related to staurosporine, the bisindolemaleimides, has been the focus of recent work. Davis et al., FEBS Lett. 259: 61-63 (1989); Twoemy et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 171: 1087-1092 (1990); Toullec et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 15771-15781 (1991); Davis et al., J. Med. Chem. 35: 994-1001 (1992); Bit et al., J. Med. Chem. 36: 21-29 (1993). Some of these compounds have demonstrated selectivity for protein kinase C over other protein kinases.
Although compounds that demonstrate specificity to protein kinase C have been discovered, very little is known regarding isozyme selectivity. For example, analysis of the isozyme selectivity of staurosporine, shows little isozyme selectivity with the exception of poor inhibition of the zeta isozyme relative to the other isozymes. McGlynn et al., J. Cell. Biochem. 49: 239-250 (1992); Ward, N. E., and O'Brian, C. A., Molec. Pharmacol. 41: 387-392 (1992). Studies of the PKC-selective compound, 3-[1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-indol-3-yl]-4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5- dione, suggest a slight selectivity for the calcium dependent isozymes. Toullec et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 15771-15781 (1991). Subsequent studies of this compound observed no difference, or possibly slight selectivity, for alpha over beta-1 and beta-2 isozymes. Martiny-Baron et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268: 9194-9197 (1993); Wilkinson, et al., Biochem. J. 294: 335-337 (1993). Therefore, despite years of research and the identification of classes of compounds that inhibit protein kinase C versus other protein kinases, there remains a need for therapeutically effective isozyme-selective inhibitors.
The present invention provides novel, potent protein kinase C inhibitors. The compounds of the present invention are selective to protein kinase C over other kinases and are, quite surprisingly, highly isozyme-selective. As selective inhibitors the compounds are useful in treating conditions associated with diabetes mellitus and its complications, ischemia, inflammation, central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular disease, dermatological disease and cancer.